Journey Home
by Motoruven
Summary: Revan and the Exile return to Coruscant
1. Chapter 1

Journey home Chapter 1

She would never get used to the emptiness of space. The cold, lifeless darkness, seemingly indifferent to the worries of the galaxy made everything, from the scorched dunes of Tatooine to the sterile wastes of Korriban, seem homely. She and her companion were weeks into their journey back to the core worlds, going in agonizingly slow, elaborate patterns of hyperspace travel to make sure they weren't followed.

She yawned and threw a glance over her right shoulder. Her companion was asleep, looking almost disturbingly peaceful in the second pilot's chair. A thin smile graced her lips, and she returned to planning their next hyperspace route.

Shalea Kall, also known as Revan, was a pale, slender woman in her mid thirties. With her long brown hair, wiry gymnast's body and high cheekbones she still maintained a youthful, almost royal kind of beauty. But the many years of fighting, travelling and distress had left their marks on her, her face lined with signs of constant worry and fatigue, and her beautiful features blemished by the scar tissue around her left eye, now a milky gray. It was a stark contrast to her right, which still had the warm, blue color of her birth.

She brushed the hair out of her eyes and gave her companion a gentle nudge.  
>"Time to move, prepare the navi-computer if you please" she said, her voice rasping, almost metallic from disuse. Not many words were said during the long hours on the small freighter, the two communicating mainly through the force and simple gestures.<p>

The man in second pilot's chair was large, close to six feet four and well over two hundred pounds. His size, combined with his black hair and thick stubble gave him a menacing, almost brutish look. His dark brown eyes however were warm and he had a smile that could relax even the most hysterical and frightened people. Shallag Charon, also known as the Jedi Exile, yawned and turned his focus to the instrument panel.  
>"About time we're starting our approach to the core worlds now, this zigzag travelling is getting tedious" he said, his deep voice just as throaty as his companion's.<br>"You're the one who suggested it, remember?" Shalea said a faint smile on her lips.  
>"And for the love of my life I can't remember why" the man replied even though they both knew the reason why. Their escape from the Sith empire had been chaotic at best, with a small armada focusing on capturing the small freighter they had stolen from the Sith Emperor's own hangar. Only luck, the fact that the Emperor was temporarily out of commission due to Shallag's timely intervention, and Shalea's near suicidal piloting had allowed them to escape with their lives.<p>

Shalea shuddered as she remembered how she had been struck by the Emperor's steel clad fist, the pain and sickening feeling of her left eye starting to fade. She recalled how the Emperor had stood over her, his crimson blade ready to strike. She could still feel the anguish of realizing that she had failed, not only herself but the republic, her friends, her love… and then the shock mixed with almost childish joy when the Emperor collapsed like a sack of groceries, having been struck in the head by Shallag, who had managed to sneak up behind him with a large rock in his hand, his lightsaber having been lost in a previous confrontation.

Shalea had no idea how Shallag had managed to find her, so far beyond the outer rim and deep inside a heavily fortified castle, but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she knew was that he had found her, saved her life and helped her escape. She threw a quick glance at the man. She knew of his previous relationship with Atris, the Jedi historian. She also knew of his ability to form bonds, meaning he had probably left a large number of people he cared about behind to go and look for her. She didn't know what had become of the Jedi historian, but if she was still at Coruscant and if she still acted the way she had prior to the civil war, Shalea would have a _very_ serious talk with the Echani woman.

Shallag quickly entered the coordinates for Coruscant, calculating the shortest possible route and started the countdown to hyperdrive ignition. He had grown increasingly restless over the three weeks of jumping around in seemingly random hyperspace patterns to make sure they weren't followed. He knew it was the smart thing to do and he was not going to risk everything they had fought for simply because he felt homesick, but that didn't make it any more enjoyable.

He massaged his neck and thought back on his time searching for his long lost companion. He had never had anything to go on except his intuition, a fleeting tremor in the force that gave him a vague idea of where to look. Then he had finally found that sorry excuse for a civilization that was the Sith empire. Almost immediately after he dropped out of hyperspace he came under heavy fire. No words had been spoken, no warnings had been issued. His piloting skills were mediocre at best, so rather than trying something fancy, he went directly for the surface of the planet, the Ebon Hawk falling apart around him. He had managed to guide the old smugglers vessel into a controlled crash which had resulted in him landing in the midst of a deserted plaza. He had quickly left the scene and disappeared into an alley.

The nest three hours had been spent sneaking and occasionally fighting his way past Sith troopers and dark jedi of various skill. It had all gone well until he reached the castle. The place had been guarded exclusively by dark jedi, many of which had been very powerful.

When he finally found a path that lead to the throne room, he had been forced to his knees by a tormented scream in the force. He had immediately recognized Shalea's force signature and had struggled to get to his feet as he had been jumped by a giant of a Sith warrior who had knocked Shallag's lightsaber out of his hands and out through a window. Shallag had eventually overpowered the man by force-throwing a large canister of mining explosives at him which he then ignited with a burst of force lightning. The Sith, along with all of his armaments, had been plastered over the walls and Shallag's robes.

He had burst through the throne room doors to find Shalea lying on the floor covered in blood with the Sith Emperor himself standing over her. Shallag had grabbed a fair sized rock, snuck up behind the armor clad Sith Lord and slammed the rock into his head. The lords helmet had probably kept him alive, though he _did_ drop down unconscious. Then they had made their way to the nearest hangar, seized a freighter and escaped. Barely.

Shallag shook his head lightly and pushed the dark memories away. Now the time had finally come to go home. He suspected Shalea had someone back in the Republic for whom she felt more than mere friendship. Just like he and Atris… He shook his head again to clear his mind. The choice to leave everything and everyone for the search to find Shalea had been hard enough, but it was leaving Atris that had hurt the most. Just as she was starting to realize that the jedi code didn't have all the answers and that love actually could work. He had to leave. He knew it had been the right thing to do, but that didn't make any less painful. He sighed and began the countdown.  
>"Hyperdrive ignition in five, four, three, two… "<br>"One…" Shalea whispered.

Next stop: Coruscant.


	2. Chapter 2

Journey home Chapter 2

The skies of Coruscant shone with a reddish glow, the last rays of light fading away. By the window of an office in a large security complex close to the senatorial gathering chambers stood a man, his eyes closed as if he was asleep standing up.

He was in his early forties, his dark brown hair already showing strands of silver. His face carried the mileage of a long and tiring life in several thin lines and small scars. In spite of this, his posture was strong, and he still carried himself like the soldier he was. He was dressed in a dark red officer's jacket, a modified blaster attached to his belt.

A quiet buzz from his comlink, followed by a nervous voice of a young security Captain, jerked him out of his thoughts.

"Admiral Onasi? Are you available?" Carth Onasi sighed, he was a professional and wasn't about to let personal moodiness impact on his duties, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Yes Captain?" He answered, his voice still carrying a slight Telosian accent.

"A ship just dropped out of orbit close to one of our patrol corvettes. A small freighter by the looks of it. It immediately transmitted valid landing codes and set course for the Jedi Temple. It should touch down with the next thirty minutes. However, one of the docking officers recognized the ship model as an old Sith Trooper transport. They had Security hail them, ordering whoever it is to remain stationary after landing. Our sensors haven't picked anything of interest, but better safe than sorry right?" the Guard Captain finished.

"Carth chuckled quietly, his mood improving slightly now that he had something to do.

"Right you are Captain. Have we received any transmissions or signals from the ship?"

"Just one Sir, a man asking for you specifically" the Captain answered, confusion evident in his youthful voice. Carth raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Me..? Did he bother giving his name?"

"He's still on the holostream Sir, I'm sending the code to your office receiver now"

Carth quickly walked over to the large office table and sat down. He entered the code and activated the hologram receiver. Seconds later, a blurry and distorted image of a burly, dark haired man appeared on the table in front of him. Carth raised a glass of water to his lips as he nodded to the small image, waiting for the stranger to introduce himself.

"Admiral Onasi, looking good" the man greeted him, a smile on his lips. Carth nearly choked on his water. The picture was blurry, as expected with a transmission from a small transport vessel. The sound however, was excellent, and Carth would have recognized that voice in the midst of a thunderstorm. A voice that had provided him with a lot of valuable insight and strategic information during the Mandalorian Wars… and whose owner had saved his life. Carth wiped his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Who… who is this?" he croaked. He had to hear it… _needed _to hear it.

"We first met at Dxun, onboard the _Slugger." _Carth thought back at the beginning of the Mandalorian wars.

"What kind of ship was it" he asked quickly, hoping, _praying _that his paranoia was just screwing with him.

"Second class dreadnought battle cruiser, clumsybugger by my recollection. Packed some decent firepower though." Carth's mind was reeling. _Just one more question…_

"What happened to her?"

"Caught in the crossfire between a Mandalorian frigate and a hidden anti-aircraft ground battery. Guided into a controlled crash circa eight clicks out from the nearest Mandalorian camp. You were cursing like a pirate when I dragged you out." The man said. Carth wiped his mouth and took a deep breath.

"Shallag? Shallag Charon? The… Exile?" Carth said, his voice unsteady.

"Feel free to forget that last title. It's getting old" Shallag replied with a curious mix of bitterness and sarcasm in his deep voice.

"Why don't you take a quick speeder ride and come down here and tell your friends not to blow us up?" Shallag said, his previous bitterness gone. Carth couldn't keep himself from smiling.

"I'll be there in ten min… wait a second, _us_? Who've you got with you?" Carth's mind was spinning. _IF __**he**__ made it, then maybe she…_ no, he wouldn't allow himself to think of that. He had had too many disappointments in the last several years, he wasn't about to let himself down again with false hope.

The small image of Shallag Charon chuckled softly.

"All good things to those who wait, pal. See you in ten." And with that, the image vanished.

For a few minutes, Carth just sat there, wandering if he hadn't finally gone insane. He hit the replay button and listened to their conversation again. _See you in ten…_ He almost leapt from the chair, grabbed his overcoat and sprinted for the door.

"Captain!" he called, as he moved quickly towards the elevator. The young officer snapped to attention.

"Sir?"

"Call the garage and tell them to prepare a speeder for me at once" he ordered, leaving no room for objections. The Captain couldn't understand why the Admiral had suddenly gotten so exited, but he did as he was told.

Nine minutes and several traffic violations later Carth Onasi landed outside of the Jedi Temple, just ten feet from the old freighter. Carth looked at the battered old ship. The model was ancient, and looked like it hadn't been maintained properly for years. It also carried several signs of carbon scoring, indicating a fair amount of trouble for Shallag and whoever else was with him.

He looked to his right and saw an armed security team keeping a close eye on the ship. The squad was led by a grey-haired veteran who had also fought at Dxun. He still felt deeply indebted to the Jedi and now, too old for active field duty, had volunteered to handle security at the Jedi Temple's outer perimeter. Carth couldn't help but smile. The man would without a doubt recognize Shallag the second the man showed himself.

Carth quickly greeted the Squad leader.

"It's ok Captain, this surprise is a good one… I think" He said, still holding a tiny amount of fear that this was just an elaborate hoax. He nodded towards the Captain.

"They may exit the ship freely, Captain Jorun"

"Captain Jorun raised his eyebrows and glared at the freighter, then reached for his comlink.

"Unidentified visitors, you may exit the ship. I ask you though, to exit slowly and with your hands visible" Carth hid his smile, he didn't blame the man for being nervous. It _was _a Sith ship after all.

The ramp creaked slightly, and started to drop. When it reached the ground, a single figure became visible at the top of it. The security team tensed slightly, as expected. The figure, a large, black-haired man, started slowly walking down the ramp, his arms out and visible. Carth looked at the man, and felt all the fear and the paranoia melt away. Though time had left its mark, he still recognized the man at first glance. The man threw him an amused glance, and then turned his eyes to Captain Jorun.

"Long time no see, Captain" he called out, his deep voice echoing over the landing grounds. Captain Jorun looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Carth actually worried for the old man for a second but then Jorun lowered his blaster and smiled.

"Indeed commander, indeed." He then holstered his blaster, walked up to the man and grabbed his hand which he shook heartily. He then stepped away as Carth walked up to the large Jedi and embraced him.

"Good to see you again, you crazy sob" Carth said as they disengaged, smiling at his old friend, his voice thick with emotion. Shallag returned the smile, and then spoke:

"It gets better flyboy. I believe you've got someone waiting for you up in the cockpit." He said with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have an errand at the Jedi Temple" He patted Carth on the shoulder, causing the smaller man to wince slightly, and then walked off to the large pyramid building. Carth followed him with his eyes for a moment and then walked over to the boarding ramp of the freighter, hesitated for a second, then entered.

Please review, it makes everything feel better. Hope you've enjoyed it so far.


	3. Chapter 3

Journey Home Chapter 3

Carth Onasi struggled to keep his breath steady as he ascended the loading ramp to the old transport. The air tasted bad and he guessed the CO2 filters where close to braking. The storage room was covered in dust and only barely noticeable patterns in the floor indicated any recent use. He moved past the storage space and entered the living quarters. Just as he was about to enter the cockpit a hoarse voice broke the stillness.

"Hello flyboy"

Carth yelped and spun around, his hand automatically reaching for his blaster. His eyes quickly scanned the living area, and soon fell upon a figure in one of the chairs. He stood astonished, he had been _very _alert going past the living quarters and the chair certainly hadn't been occupied when he first entered. He eyed the person intently; a little younger than him and only slightly shorter. Long brown hair. Her eyes… no her _eye_ he noticed, held the same deep blue color he remembered. The left however, was a milky gray, and a mess of scar tissue around it blemished her worn but still beautiful face. Carth struggled to find his voice.

"S… Shalea?" he whispered, his voice suddenly feeling very thin. The woman rose from the chair, a curious mix of a smile and fear on her face. She walked up to him, stopping only half a foot short of touching him.

"You look surprised" she said, her voice laced with forced levity, her eye betraying her nervousness. Carth reached out with his right hand and cautiously, as if he was afraid she would disappear upon contact, touched her shoulder.

A shiver coursed through her body as he gently pulled closer, and suddenly her self control gave way, and she threw herself at him, nearly knocking him over. Carth responded by wrapping his arms around her, his eyes suddenly feeling very hot. They remained like this for a long time, neither saying a word, neither trusting their voice to hold. They would most likely have remained like this for far longer if a certain Captain hadn't made his existence known.

"Admiral? Are you alright?" Captain Jorun called, his voice echoing through the empty freighter. Carth muttered under his breath.

"Talk about rotten timing…" He paused as Shalea stroked his bearded cheek.

"Come" she simply said, and started walking to the ramp. As the pair descended, the security crew once again tensed up and Captain Jorun called out.

"Who goes there? Identify yourself and… " He suddenly choked on his words as he recognized the woman at the admirals side. His eyes went wide, and the he did what Carth feared he might do when he first saw Shallag. The old Captain fainted. He collapsed unceremoniously on the landing pad in front of his astonished crew. They watched confusedly as the brown-haired woman at the admirals side dashed forward impossibly quickly, reaching their Captain just as he hit the deck. She held his torso up with relative ease, her other hand on his chest. A few seconds later the Captain stirred, his eyes immediately locking on the woman. She smiled crookedly at him.

"Granted recent times has left me a little messed up, but I don't look _that _bad now do I?" she said with an easy smile on her thin lips, drawing a nervous laughter from the security team. The Captain took a deep breath, closed his eyes and muttered, just load enough for everyone to hear.

"Maybe now the Admiral will shut up about 'the girl that got away'" He then smiled and rose to his feet. He turned to Carth, who looked like was trying not to laugh as Captain Jorun tried to regain some kind of military dignity and spoke.

"Requesting to take the day of Admiral. Somehow I feel quite desperate for a drink" He said, his voice still a bit weak. Everybody laughed and Carth gave the man a hearty slap on the shoulder.

"Permission granted. I hereby order you and your men to visit a respectable cantina and I order _you_ to buy the drinks and explain to your men why you collapsed like an old man at the sight of two old friends." He handed the man a cred stick.

"Just don't make a mess" he added, glaring theatrically at the group. The men saluted and then cheered. Captain Jorun spoke, his voice back to normal.

"Don't worry sir, I'll keep them in line. Men, report at the Corellian bar in twenty minutes. Dismissed!" The security squad walked off, leaving the Jedi and the Admiral alone at the pad. Suddenly feeling awkward, Carth threw a cautious look at Shalea, who simply smiled, took his hand and spoke.

"Come" she simply said, leading him towards the Temple.

At the Jedi Temple

Shallag tried to relax as he walked through the gates to the large pyramid building. The grounds were quieter than he remembered, which unsettled him, making feel like an intruder. He knew it was only to be expected after the civil war, but it didn't make it feel any better. He was snapped out of his brooding by an accented female voice.

"Hold! Name and business, if you please" The voice was cordial but serious, leaving no room for objections. Shallag turned to his right and locked eyes with the voice's owner. A tall, muscular Cathar woman looked at him sharply, her right hand resting on the hilt of a lightsaber. Shallag raised his hands defensively.

"Relax miss, I'm simply wondering where I might find the mistress of the Archives. The woman raised an eyebrow, her feline features showing an odd mix of skepticism and confusion.

"The mistress of the Archives? You mean Atris?" she answered, eyeing him suspiciously. She looked like she was trying to remember something.

"The same." Shallag replied smiling, trying to make the woman relax. The way she stared at him was quite unsettling. Then she spoke again.

"What is your business with her?" she said, not quite as aggressive as before. Shallag shrugged and decided to speak the truth, fearing the woman might try to strangle him if she suspected him of lying.

"We were friends up until the Mandalorian wars, after which she and the rest of the council threw me out" he simply stated. He then had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing. The Cathar's face had gone from intense and slightly intimidating to confused and slightly comical. She looked at him like he had sprouted a second head. She then cleared her throat and spoke.

"I… I see. If you would please follow me." she purred, her voice now surprisingly soft. She then turned and started walking towards one of the meditation chambers, motioning for him to follow.

"Thank you miss" he said, moving up beside her. The feline glared at him.

"It's _Mrs! _She growled, her eyes almost glowing. Shallag stared at her, slightly startled.

"And your welcome" she then said evenly, walking off at a quick pace. Shallag, now feeling royally confused, remained stationary for a few seconds and then quickly followed the Cat-like woman.

Please write and review! Hope you've enjoyed it so far and if you have any ideas, feel free to share them. And bonus points to whoever guesses who our dear Cathar has bonded with.


	4. Chapter 4

Journey Home Chapter 4

Shallag struggled to keep up with the tall woman leading the way. The slender cathar woman walked at a pace most people would consider a brisk jog. He frequently increased the length of his steps, wondering if he would actually have to start running to keep up with his feline guide. Just as they were approaching the sparring chambers he suddenly he felt a presence touching his mind, a pressure that felt oddly familiar. He looked at his guide.

"Don't tell me… sparring chamber three?" he said with a boyish grin. The Cathar woman raised a sharp eyebrow before nodding slightly. Shallag didn't bother asking for more details. He slid past his guide and quietly snuck up a short flight of stairs leading to an observation room that overlooked the sparring chambers.

He carefully approached the balcony railing and gazed down into a circular, undecorated room. It was about sixty feet across and very utilitarian in its design. Close to its center, two figures were locked in what looked like a furious duel.

One of them was a male in his mid to late twenties, average in height and build and with black, unruly hair. He was dressed in a white shirt with a black vest over it that looked like it had been stuffed with various armor plates. He was wielding pair of short lightsabers that burned with a fiery orange.  
>The way he was wielding them was strange, a curious mix of Shi-Cho and Ataru which, while very flashy and elegant, looked tragically ineffective against his opponent.<p>

The woman facing him was in her mid thirties, though her snow white hair and porcelain skin made her age difficult to determine. She was dressed in a simple white robe, a less elaborate version of the more decorated historian robes. She wielded a single, blue-hued lightsaber in an aggressive but controlled application of Juyo.

Shallag felt a small flow of memories fill his mind, along with a touch of compassion for her opponent. From what he had experienced of the young man's skills, he knew that while he was more than capable of _wielding_ lightsabers, he was by no means a master yet. The woman however, who was quickly beating her way through his defenses, was.

Shallag thought back to their last encounter in the hidden academy at Telos. When the white-haired woman had raised her blade against him, blinded by rage and years of pent up frustration, he had found his own skills pushed to the very limit.  
>He was mainly a form V practitioner, favoring the Djem So. He had also had a fair amount of practice in Makashi, to help compensate for the Djem So's atrocious footwork. The result was an archaic-looking, but very efficient style that suited his tall frame and large bodyweight perfectly.<p>

However, when put against an enraged Juyo specialist, who also had just as much experience as he when it came to lightsaber dueling he had quickly been put on the defensive, his main focus being keeping his head and limbs in place. In the end, what allowed him to win wasn't really his skill but his superior strength and endurance. His opponent had thrown herself at him so aggressively that she had quickly lost her steam. After that he quickly increased the rate of his own offense and ended up kicking her legs out from under her while holding the wrist of her sword arm. Then he simply twisted the saber from her hand. He _had_ won, if only by a small margin.

Her current opponent however, had none of the advantages Shallag had enjoyed against her. He was not as conditioned, not nearly as strong and _nowhere_ near as skilled or experienced. Shallag watched with amusement and some nostalgia as the white haired woman deftly maneuvered her adversary into a position where his right blade was in the way of his left _and _his legs where crisscrossed, leaving him severely off balance. She then followed up with a massive overhand blow that knocked the blades out of his hand and put him ungraciously on his behind.

By now Shallag couldn't wait anymore, this was simply too good an opportunity to miss. He called out:

"I _told_ you to study Niman rather than Ataru!" The result was satisfyingly comical. The black haired man, who just about to stand up, jerked his head up so violently that he lost his balance all over again and fell back down again, almost hitting his head in the process. The Woman's reaction however was the very opposite. She appeared to freeze, as if she had been put into stasis. Shallag couldn't see her face from where he stood but he felt how the calm focus where she stood disappeared and changed into shock and confusion.

Then her hands started to shake, and she dropped her lightsaber on the floor, the metallic sound of the hilt hitting the floor resonating loudly in the now quiet chamber. Shallag quickly vaulted over the railing, landing some ten feet away from the duo. He threw an apologetic look at the man, who still sat on the floor with a confused look on his face.

Shallag walked up behind the woman carefully put his hand on her shoulder. He could now hear the sound of her breathing, which sounded shallow and forced. Then he spoke, his deep voice uncharacteristically soft:

"Atris…"

That's it for now! Sorry to leave it hanging like this, but I really have no idea how to proceed. Thoughts and suggestions are always welcome along with reviews, so don't be shy! May the force be with me, 'cause my writing mind really needs it right now.


	5. Chapter 5

Journey Home Chapter 5

Atton struggled to keep his balance while circling his opponent. No matter how hard he tried he always found himself having to defend from an awkward angle. He eyed his opponent in search of something, _anything _really, that might give him an edge. Much to his chagrin he didn't find anything.

He thought of what Brianna had told him, how the white-haired woman in front of him had almost killed her only to be stopped and subsequently disarmed by Shallag, who had nearly burnt out the Ebon Hawk's hyper drive to get to Telos in time.

Atton winced as he barely blocked another sweeping slash from his opponent. While he still had a lot to learn about lightsaber dueling, he was good enough to see if someone was holding back. And everything about the woman in front of him told him that she wasn't even trying. Heck, she wasn't even breathing heavily. Couldn't the blasted girl at least _pretend _to be a little tired?

No harm in being polite, he thought a bit stupidly.

He remembered how Brianna had described her encounter with her former mistress, how the former councilmember had been reeking with the dark side at the time and had thrown herself at her so ferociously that all the Sith in the galaxy would have been proud.

Personally Atton only knew what it was like having to spar against this woman, which was hard enough. He found the thought of her coming at him as recklessly as some of the Sith he had encountered quite disturbing. He made a quick mental note to; if he ever saw the man again, ask Shallag how the hell he had managed to survive, not to mention win.

Personally Atton found the thought of fighting his sparring partner for real just a tad unsettling.

He entertained these thoughts for a few more seconds before his opponent increased her attack rate while circling to his right. He knew exactly what she was going to do, having endured it before. She would force him to defend his right shoulder while simultaneously forcing him to circle to his left and retreat and no matter how hard he tried, he never managed to keep his balance while doing it.

He saw the overhand strike coming and went to block, and like so many times before it caused his off balance legs to give out and put him on his ass. Again.

He quickly locked eyes with the woman who towered over him. She gave him a quick nod, her blade retracting back into its hilt. Atton posted his hand on the floor and went to push himself to his feet when a deep, booming voice called out from one of the observation balconies.

"_I told you to study Niman rather than Ataru!"_

The shock of hearing that voice again was so great it had the exact same result as the overhand strike he had previously suffered; it made him fall down, this time nearly hitting his head, having yanked it back to see the owner of the voice.

As he came down he once again caught sight of his training partner, and was surprised to see shock and confusion clearly coloring her features. This alone was a surprise to him; during his entire stay at the temple he had barely seen her smile, let alone react to anything with visible emotion.

The he became even more surprised as he saw tears form in her ice blue eyes. Her breathing now sounded ragged and labored, and she started shaking as her hands loosened, causing her to drop her saber hilt to the floor.

The sound of the hilt hitting the floor seemed to bring them all back to reality. Atton raised his head to see the man on the balcony vault down over the railing and into the sparring chamber.

…

Atris just stood there shaking. The shock of hearing that voice again, and so _close,_ had almost brought her to her knees. She was faintly aware of the young man at her feet, and her ears registered the sound of her saber hilt hitting the floor, but none of that seemed to matter. Her mind went into overdrive as she recalled the events of the last month.

Flashback

After Shallag had left for Malachor V, Atris half expected the newly formed council to either imprison her or force her into exile. Neither would have surprised her and she wouldn't have resisted no matter the punishment. In her mind she would have deserved every part of it.

But instead of a punishment she had been offered a place on the newly formed council, now consisting of Bastila Shan, a cynical old man by the name of Jolee Bindo, a sinister looking Cathar woman called Juhani and a Miraluka woman Atris only knew as Visas. She had been unable to handle her surprise at this offer, and when she had questioned their decision Bastila had simply replied, her voice cold:

"You are powerful, experienced and probably hold more academical knowledge than the lot of us combined. In short, the good outweighs the bad in this case" That final remark hit her like a stun bolt, and only sheer willpower had kept her from bursting into tears right in front of all the other council members. She knew precisely what Bastila had hinted at, and she knew she had no arguments against it.

And so began her work in the newly restarted Jedi order. She was treated cordially by everyone, but she could feel their suspicion. Again she didn't blame them.

She had buried herself in work. Trying to find new force sensitives, relocating whatever artifacts they could get their hands on to Coruscant and training with the other surviving Jedi.

Whenever she had the opportunity she would try to talk with the former companions of both Revan and Shallag. Mostly she was met with a courteous level of distrust. In some cases she was treated with open hostility as she approached the various people. She had yet to have a civilized talk with the Cathar woman Juhani outside of the council meetings, and Bastila usually ignored her. This wasn't at all surprising since Atris remembered herself being one the main critics of Bastilas development both as a person and as a Jedi.

How Atris despised the person she had been back then, and that she had remained for so long.

The Zabrak Bao-Dur however was surprisingly gentle in his behavior to her. This surprised her; she would have thought that with his unwavering loyalty to Shallag, whom he still referred to as "General", the warrior mechanic turned Jedi would have been her strongest critic. But so far he hadn't been anything but kind to her and seemed maybe not forgiving, but at least understanding of her situation. He had told her a lot about the Mandalorian wars and had firmly crushed whatever doubts Atris might have still harbored concerning the Jedi's involvement against the Neo Crusaders.

Her talk with the Miraluka woman Visas had been a somewhat disturbing experience. She was polite but unpleasantly accurate in her assessments of Atris's personality and actions, both past and present. But she had offered some consolation for the mistress of the archives. She assured her that while Atris may have hurt the exile, whom Visas never referred to by name, the man still cared deeply for her.

She decided that she liked the old man Jolee Bindo. Even though he was impatient, cynical to the point of absurdity and quite possibly the rudest man she had ever encountered, she liked him. In all her life she had never met anyone less judgmental than this cranky old man, and he had a grandfatherly air to him that she found surprisingly heartwarming. She had told him more about herself than she had originally intended, and none of it seemed to surprise him. Even her retelling of her short but violent fall to the dark side didn't appear to bother him in the slightest.

Her first impression of the young man Atton Rand had been decidedly bad. She had found him rude, immature and even childish at times. But as she talked to him she slowly started developing a certain respect for the war veteran. He was very perceptive and had a very raw, clear view of what had happened to the galaxy during the two wars. And she had to admit he had a knack for storytelling. His recollections of some of his adventures with Shallag had actually made her smile.

Then Atton had mentioned how Shallag had given him basic lightsaber instruction, and how Atton, being naturally ambidextrous, had opted for dual blade fencing. He had then proceeded to show her the twin blades given to him by Shallag, who had made them specially for him. She had inspected the hilts and marveled at the workmanship, simple in appearance but highly advanced technically, complete with adjustable power settings, blade lengths and also being waterproof. _"Just like Shallag"_ she had thought, feeling an intense sting of longing.

She had briefly thought back at their last meeting, and the duel that had followed her torture of Brianna. She still hadn't been able to bring herself to talk to the girl, who now served as a scout for the Jedi. She had then tried to recall the details of her duel with Shallag but the memory was so clouded with rage and darkness. Her only clear memory of the event was how Shallag had nearly dislocated her arm as he wrenched her saber hilt from her hand. Not only was the man very skilled, but absurdly strong too.

Then she had pushed the thoughts of Shallag and Brianna out of her head and returned her focus to Atton Rand.

She offered to help train the young man, feeling that if he was to own a set of expertly constructed lightsabers he might as well learn how to use them. He had reacted with some surprise and slight suspicion, but after some contemplating he had accepted. He already had the basics in place, but as good a teacher as Shallag was, even he couldn't make someone a master swordsman in a few months. So whenever they trained together, Atris made sure to give him pointers, but she didn't take it easy on him in sparring. Partially because he already had some rudimentary skill along with actual lightsaber battle experience. And partially because he himself had insisted that they go hard in sparring. He didn't seem to enjoy it very much when she obliged but kept his mouth shut about it.

Back in the sparring chamber

Atris heard how something landed on the floor some twenty feet behind her, and how someone was walking towards her. She felt her eyes water, and she suddenly found it hard to breathe properly. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Atris…" A deep, hoarse voice said. She felt her knees trembling but she managed to turn around and face the man holding her shoulder. She looked up at his face. His black hair was marginally longer than she remembered and his cheeks were covered with thick stubble. His already light skin was a bit paler than usual. Other than that he looked the same.

She looked in his eyes. Blue met brown for a second and then her vision faded. She started crying, her eyes filling up with tears and sobbing so hard she barely could breathe. She then closed the distance between them and wrapped arms around her waist, holding on to him with all her might.

Shallag returned the embrace as hard as he dared. He noticed his own eyes watering up and realized he was crying just as hard as the woman who was holding him so hard he felt his ribcage getting compressed.

He couldn't care less about the pain, and for the first time since leaving for the Mandalorian wars he felt like he was home.

…..

There we go, chapter 5. I'm sorry I didn't really advance the plot, but I felt it necessary to explain Atris's situation among the remaining Jedi, and give you an idea of what the general setting of this story actually is. I'm imagining Atris as having lived in a big bubble of denial for several years, isolated from the galaxy and even reality. One of the COUNTLESS screw-up's of the former Council. And now that reality has caught up with her she has fallen into a minor depression, realizing how much damage her, and the rest of the Councils arrogance, has caused.

As for picking members for my new Jedi Council, I decided to go with personality rather than raw power. Bastila for her experience. Visas for her insight. Jolee for his experience and for being the voice of common sense among the Jedi in the Kotor universe. Juhani for being good all round when she isn't snapping at people.

As for the Jedi's view on romantic relationships I consider them pretty tolerant. With Jolee, Bastila, Visas and Juhani on the Council a ban on romance would seem quite silly. Reviews are always welcome!


End file.
